Marketing That Feels Good: Meeting People’s Need for Joy, Simplicity, and Hope in 2025
If it feels like your audience is a little less optimistic than they used to be, you're not imagining it! This year has taken it out of all of us and it’s more important than ever to be mindful in our marketing strategies.
I was lucky enough to view highlights from a recent workshop by Brooke Tully where she shared “Trends to Watch in 2025”. She explained that many people are feeling more overwhelmed, less excited about the future, and increasingly hesitant to plan ahead. Instead of setting long-term goals, they’re shifting focus to short-term comforts - often saving less, consuming more, and looking for small doses of joy in the everyday.
As marketers and business owners, that gives us a challenge and an opportunity: how can we offer audiences a welcome escape from stress and over-information - and maybe, just maybe, help them feel more hopeful again?
Let’s explore how you can tap into what your audience truly needs right now: joy, rest, simplicity, and a renewed sense of possibility.
Marketing that Feels Good
Why Audiences Are Craving a Feel-Good Escape
Burnout isn’t new, but it’s hitting differently in 2025. We’re living in a time where headlines rarely bring good news, the climate crisis feels closer than ever, and the economy has a lot of folks questioning what their next chapter even looks like.
It’s no wonder people are reaching for anything that feels like an escape - unplugging from devices, walking in nature, or curling up with a throwback movie from childhood. In many ways, we’re collectively craving:
Joy over judgment
Quiet over chaos
Carpe diem moments over five-year plans
Simplicity over complication
This mindset shift is important for us to understand as marketers. Because when audiences stop planning for the future, they often stop investing in products and services that require long-term thinking. But they do continue engaging with brands that make them feel something real - something good.
How Brands Can Offer Relief, Not More Noise
Here’s the truth: your audience doesn’t need more content.
They need better content - the kind that feels like a deep breath instead of another to-do list.
That doesn’t mean you have to ditch strategy. It just means shifting how you show up. Here are a few ways you can offer more joy, ease, and emotional connection in your marketing:
Create from calm, not urgency. Write your emails like you’re talking to a friend. Ditch the fear-based “act now or miss out” messaging in favor of gentle encouragement.
Use nostalgia and throwbacks. Share your origin story. Post a photo from the early days. Invite your audience to reflect on their own growth.
Lean into visuals that soothe. Warm tones, soft fonts, natural textures - these aesthetic choices can help your audience feel grounded and safe.
Infuse delight into small things. A funny Reel, a meme that gets it, a reminder to drink water - all of it matters.
At Fashionably Frank Marketing, this shows up in how I build strategies for all my clients. Whether it’s a series of social posts that gently educate or a homepage refresh that prioritizes white space and clarity, my goal is to make marketing feel like a relief, not a chore.
Helping Audiences Feel Hopeful About the Future
Here’s where we flip the script: what if your content didn’t just offer escape - but helped people feel more capable, too?
While it’s tempting to stay in the feel-good lane (and don’t get me wrong, there’s value there), the next step is helping your audience reconnect with the belief that the future is still worth investing in.
That might look like:
Sharing stories of transformation - no matter how small.
Celebrating progress instead of perfection.
Using future-focused language like “Let’s build something that lasts” or “Imagine how this will serve you in six months.”
Whether you’re selling a product or offering a service, your message can do more than convert. It can rebuild trust in what’s possible.
Helping People Express Who They Are
Even in uncertain times, people are looking for ways to reinforce who they are and what they care about. That’s where your brand has another powerful role to play.
Ask yourself:
How does your brand help someone say, “This is me”?
Does your messaging reflect your audience’s values and lifestyle?
Are you giving people something to align with - not just something to buy?
From highlighting causes you care about to showing your real personality on Stories, your brand can become a vessel for self-expression. One that says: “You belong here. And we get you.”
Marketing With Intention in 2025
In a world that feels increasingly heavy, what if your brand became a source of light?
Marketing doesn’t have to be loud to be effective. It doesn’t have to be fast, flashy, or filtered to the point of detachment. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is create something that feels genuinely good to engage with - and reminds your audience that there’s still so much beauty ahead.
So, take a breath. Slow it down. And ask yourself:
“What would my marketing look like if the goal wasn’t just to convert - but to comfort?”
